A pair of teenagers, 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez, have been identified as the suspects in a tragic shooting outside a San Diego mosque that claimed the lives of three individuals, as per a source within law enforcement.
The investigation revealed that at least one of the teenagers retrieved a firearm from their family residence. A suicide note, emphasizing racial pride, was also discovered, according to information provided to The Post by a law enforcement official.
Clark was a student at Madison High School, where he was recognized for his wrestling prowess, as highlighted by the school’s online platforms. His grandfather, David Clark, 78, expressed remorse, stating, “We’re deeply sorry for this incident. We’re just as shocked as everyone else.”
The bodies of Clark and Velasquez were discovered in a BMW, both having died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, just a few blocks away from the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Investigators found anti-Islamic writings in the car and noted that the guns used in the attack had been marked with hate speech, according to the source.
Police reported that at approximately 9:42 a.m., they had received a call from a distressed mother reporting her child as a runaway.
After speaking with the mom, police began to elevate the threat level the individual posed to the community.
The mom allegedly believed her son was suicidal and shared that several of her weapons were missing, as was her vehicle, according to police.
The mom also said her son was with a companion and that they were dressed in camo.
The police would not clarify whether or not the missing person was involved in the shooting, though most of the details line up with what The Post was told.
The three dead at the mosque were security guard and father of eight Amin Abdullah, who police say prevented more deaths, as well as a grocery store owner, and another man.
The two suspects fled in a white BMW, police said during a press conference Monday afternoon.
“We are safe, the entire school is safe. All the kids, all the staff, and the teachers are safe and out of the Islamic Center,” center Imam Taha Hassane said in a video obtained by the California Post and circulated among California’s Muslim community.
Authorities said officers swarmed the Islamic Center within four minutes of the first emergency calls, launching what police described as a fast-moving and “dynamic” response.
Between 50 and 100 officers entered the Islamic Center during the response as police searched classrooms, prayer areas, and surrounding buildings.
The investigation remains ongoing and authorities have yet to release a motive, but the gunmen had inscribed anti-Islamic messages on their weapons and one left a suicide note promoting ”racial pride”.
